Continued US aggression against Iranian territory proves military strength is the sole deterrent: MP

By Press TV Website Staff

A senior Iranian lawmaker says the continued US attacks on Iranian territory have reinforced Tehran's belief that military strength is the only effective way to deter Washington.

Speaking to the Press TV website, Amir Hayat Moghaddam, deputy head of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said the continued aggression against Iran makes it clear that the United States cannot be trusted to honor its commitments.

“We must become a global power to discipline criminal America. This is our path. Any other path is a deviation,” he said, noting that Tehran must build far greater military capabilities if it wants to prevent similar acts of aggression in future.

His remarks came amid heightened tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has restricted maritime transit following repeated US violations of a Pakistan-mediated Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on June 17.

The MoU, reached after months of imposed war, assigned responsibility for reopening and managing the strategic waterway to Iran. However, Washington undermined the understanding by continuing maritime banditry, attacking Iranian territory, imposing new sanctions, interfering in Hormuz-related arrangements, and threatening the shipping lane.

Iran has formally complained to the United Nations, noting that the United States has been systematically violating the understanding through repeated breaches, including attacks on Iranian territory and interference in the management of the Strait.

Reflecting on the recent escalation, the Moghaddam said Iran had entered negotiations with Washington to demonstrate that it was willing to resolve issues through dialogue.

“We decided to negotiate with the Americans and even sign a memorandum of understanding at the presidential level to convince public opinion – both at home and abroad – that the Islamic Republic believes in negotiations and diplomacy,” he said.

According to him, the United States broke every commitment enshrined in the MoU.

“The Americans violated all the provisions of the memorandum. For nearly a week, they have been attacking our southern coasts. They have martyred nearly 30 of our people, wounded many others, and most of those killed were civilians,” added Moghaddam.

He noted that the attacks reflected US’ disregard for international law and moral principles.

The MP also slammed the extensive American military presence across West Asia, saying the United States has established numerous bases far from its own territory to pursue its own sinister interests at the risk of regional security.

According to him, those interests boil down to two objectives: “plundering the region’s oil and safeguarding Israel's security.”

“The Americans must leave this region. They must dismantle all their bases and go,” said the former governor of southern Khuzestan province.

He also urged Muslim countries to resist US pressure, stating that even if they do not engage militarily, they should refuse to support Washington's regional policies. He singled out Oman as an exception while criticizing the positions of other regional governments.

He said the war would not end “easily” and argued that Iran's response must focus on expanding its military capabilities rather than expecting diplomatic guarantees to prevent further attacks.

“The United States strikes once, and we should answer ten times. But our power today is regional. We must reach the level of power where we can strike Washington,” he noted.

“We must certainly unveil our intercontinental missiles and strike the White House so that they learn a lesson. Otherwise, Trump and his associates will never change. They are committed to no principles.”

Turning to the Strait of Hormuz, the MP said Parliament is working to establish a legal framework for Iran's management of the waterway.

His remarks follow the introduction of the “Strategic Action Plan for Ensuring Security and Sustainable Development of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf,” announced by Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee on Tuesday.

The MP said implementing such a framework would require both domestic legislation and coordination with Oman before broader international recognition could be pursued.

“First, we need a domestic law approved by parliament so it becomes the basis for the government's actions. Then we will continue efforts at the international level.”

Still, he expressed little confidence that international institutions would endorse such a framework, arguing that US influence would obstruct the process.

Despite that, he insisted the broader lesson of the current confrontation remained unchanged.

Quoting the Quranic verse, “Prepare against them whatever you can of power” (8:60), he said Iran's long-term security depends on building military strength capable of deterring future aggression.

“Our path is power. We must become a global power to discipline criminal America,” Moghaddam added.

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